Waterbury evening Democrat., 1887-12-27

And for how many hours, prayF'

''And for how many hours, prayr
 "Eighty-four years. You fell into an hyp- notic slumber in 1900, and this is 18S4n
 Uncle John broke into 6t of laughter; but seeing my serious face, paused, and the1 deliberately bit his finger.
 'I shall be awake presently" !" he said, look ing at his finger sAnd yet this pain-tell me all about itn
 I told him all, as I have written it, but with more detail Then added: Look at yourself in wonder glass. You have grown old during your artificial slumber. Action has been suspended, but not the processes of life. Read the journal you have thrown down, and you will see that the world has moved and you have not. Clasp my hand there, is that not flesh and blood-real and not visionary?n
 "And Tom Jefferson has not been just elected, and the country ruinedT
 MT. Jefferson, after serving two terms died many years since; and the country, after going through two foreign and one domestic war, is now at peace and prosper ous, with its territory extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific"
 "And brother Guy?'
 I took down the family record and showed him the record from Guy V, born April 8, ITO, to Guy VIII, born Mry 1, 1856.
 The truth seemed to possess the old mans mind. He looked at his hands and feet, felt his beard, and his countenance assumed a look of extreme terror. Would he go madi
 Suddenly he burst into flood of tears, and felt relieved.
 ''This-this is cruel" he said, at length, with sob.
 'sWe did all we could, Uncle John.n I pleaded.
 "Yes, know-I know. But to keep mo in living grave, to wake old, decrepit-it was better to have let me die while I was uncon- scious. I am weak-I would like to lie down."
 Do so, Uncle John; you will be better by dinner time"
 assisted him to his chamber, where he lay down on lounge, and left him to his rcpose.
 Just before dinner sent Peter to his room to bid him prepare for the meal The ser want came back. 'The old gentleman seems little out of his head, sir. He told mo to put finder box on the mantel shelf"
 l hurried to the chamber, where found the old man muttering to himself. I spoke to him, saying that dinner would soon be ready.
 "You are there," he said; "and you come to tell me this is no dream, and am hum dred and twelve years old"
 Then he stared vacantly, and worked his fingers in a convulsive way.
 l sent at once for Dr. Quitman, our family physician, while managed to persuade the old man to get to bed. When the physician came, and before he saw his patient, though gave him none of the previous facts, stated that this was my great-great-granduncle, and that he was 112 years old. Dr. Quitman looked surprised at the relationship, and the gleam in his eye showed that he doubted the age given. He went with me to the chamber and made the customary xamination-Uncle John answering his questions in monosylla- bles, not always as though he perfectly un- derstood.
 "Well, doctors" I inquired, when he had come out
 ''He is certainly very old," replied the physician; Che may be close upon 100. There is no disease-tho powers of life arc simply giving way. By a careful administration of stimulants-I should recommend Huxham's tincture-and by judicious nourishment, you may prolong life little; but he will prob ably peaceably fade out in a very few days" |"
 And ho did. On the third day, growing weaker, and apparently without any feeling of pain, he passed away. had my finger on his pulse. It was very weak and slow. As stood there he muttered, and I stopped to listen. He murmured:
 'Guy, it was as real-you can have no idea"-
 Here he stopped. pressed the artery, but it had ceased to beat.-Thomas Dunn Eng fish in Tho Independent.